Improvement in feed-cutters



W. F. ALTFATHER.

Feed Cutter.

No. 58,967. Patented Oct. 23, 1866.

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\VILLIAM F. ALTFATHER, OF JOHNSTOlVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEED-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 58,967, dated October 23, 1866.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I,WILLIAM F. AL'IFATIIER, of Johnstown, in the county of (Jambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Feedflutters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved feed -cutter, taken through the line a: 1', Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front-end view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved cutter, simple in construction, durable, and cheap, and which will do its work readily and at the expense of comparatively little power; and it consists, first, in the combination of the inclined or diamond-shaped knife, sash, or sliding frame, jointed connection, and eccentric with each other, and with the driving-shaft, cutterframe, and box; and, second, in the combination of the jaws, bent levers, and pivoted cam-lever with each other, and with the cutter-box, pivotingsupport, and eccentric, the whole being constructed and arranged as hereinafter more fully described.

A is the box, and B the frame, of the cutter, about the construction of which parts there is nothing new. 0 is the driving-shaft, which revolves in bearings in the upper ends of the front posts of the frame 15. To one end of the shaft 0 is attached the crank D, and to its other end the fiy-whecl I in the ordinary manner. To the shaft 0 is securely attached an eccentric, F, the face of which is grooved, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

G is a strap passing around the eccentric F, and fitting into the groove formed upon the face of said eccentric. To the lower side of this strap is securely attached a projection, H, to the lower part of which is pivoted the upper end of the connecting rod or bar I. The lower end of the connecting-rod I is pivoted to theupper end of the sash or sliding frame J. The sliding frame J is made diamondshaped, as shown in Fig. 2, and slides up and down in inclined grooves formed in the inner edges of the strips K, attached to the forward end of the frame B, as shown.

L is the knife, which is attached to the sash J in the ordinary manner. This construction and arrangement enables the knife in operating to make a sliding out, and consequently comparatively less power is required than when the sash-frame moves vertically.

To the sides of the box A. is attached the lower end of the support M, to the upper ends of which the cam-lever N is pivoted. This lever is made in substantially the form shown in Fig. 1, the arms a and a of which pass on opposite sides of the eccentric F, and are operated by stop-pins f and f attached to the sides of said eccentric. One of these pins, f, is immovable, being firmly attached to the side of the eccentric F. The other, f is adjustable, passing through a slot in said eccentrio, and secured in place by a nut, f, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

O is a bent lever, the lower end of which is pivoted to the forward edge of the lower jaw, l, of the feed-clutch, and its upper end is pivoted to the cam-lever N by a pin, 0, which passes through and works in a slot formed in the lower part, a of the said lever N. It is a bent lever, the lower end of which is attached to the upper side of the upper jaw, S, of the feed-clutch, and its upper end is pivoted to the lever N by a pin, 1, passing through and working in a slot formed in the lower part, a, of said lover. The middle parts of the lovers 0 and R are pivoted to each other, as shown in Fig. 1.

The faces of the jaws I and S are grooved or toothed, as shown, and the jaw 1 slides back and forth along the bottom of the cut ter-box A, being kept in proper relative position by its ends working in grooves formed in the sides of said box.

By this arrangement the straw or hay is fed forward to the knife, and by changing the position of the pin f the length of the feed may be regulated at pleasure. The pin f being stationary, the clutch will always be thrown back to the same point whatever be the length of the stroke.

'1 is an inclined guide-board, pivoted near its rear edge to the sides of the box, and held down to its place by the spring U, the free end substantially as herein shown and described,

of which rests upon the upper side of said and for the purpose set forth.

guide-board near its forward edge, compress- 2. The combination of the jaws I? and S, bent ing' the hag. or straw, and holding it in a proper levers O and R, and pivoted eani-leverN with position to be acted upon by the knife. each other, and with the cutter-box A, supportlIaving thus described myinventioml.claim l M, and eccentric F, substantially as herein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patl shown and described, and for the purpose sob ent-- forth.

1. The combination of the inclined or dia- M. F. ALTFATHER. niond-shaped knife-sash, connecting rod or bar WVitnesses I, and eccentric F with each other, and with Rom. P. ROBISON,

the driving-shaft U, cutter-frame B, and box A, I W. B. BONAGKER. 

